The Harp: A Story of Perilous Love
by Luv2Dream1212
Summary: Jack and Angelica go on a date on the river when they find themselves getting caught in a white water rapid, rushing toward a huge waterfall. Jack makes a lucky escape but sadly, Angelica goes over. 10 long years have passed and Jack hopes in dreams that some day Angelica would come back into his waiting arms. Soon, he goes on a perilous quest to save her. Will he suceed?


The Harp

**Prolouge**

Water roared in his ears as the white water rapids rushed him upriver. He dug his oar in the water, useless. The water was way to fast. Suddenly the roaring grew louder and his boat began to speed up, the waterfall was getting closer. His boat moved over miniature falls as the drop grew closer. He shot his gaze around. There was no possible way of escaping, I'm as good as dead. He thought, then he saw the banks of the river. He could just make it. He stood up in his boat and leapt. The boat shook under his weight he winced as the sharp rocks scored his side. He landed sharply on the ground clutching his side then he suddenly remembered…her.

"Angelica!" he had forgotten she was in the boat just behind him. He lifted his head and he could just see her through his blurry gaze heading toward the waterfall. She would die! The rocks were sharp and it led to the ocean. Suddenly water rippled and a dark shadow emerged a huge dragon came out of the water he opened his mouth ready to swallow her up. She stood up in the boat ready to spring, there was no way she'd make it the river would drown her.

"Angelica!" Jack called weekly, "Don't-"but it was to late she landed in the water and her head vanished, Jack tried to stand but he had sprained his ankle. He plopped right back down and watched helplessly as she vanished into the water. He was relieved when he saw her head pop out again, she tried to swim but the strong current swept her away and she vanished over the waterfall, she shrieked as she landed into the sea monster's mouth. He closed his mouth and was gone. Jack stared in horror, he would never see her big brown eyes or her wavy brown hair ever again, he wanted to cry like a child who'd lost its mother, "Someday I will find you." He promised.

**1784**

Jack walked along the river bank, kicking pebbles in the sand. He stopped at the waterfall and looked down. It was at that very place 10 years ago when he'd watched his beloved get swallowed up by a sea monster. He missed her, he'd wished he'd been less selfish when he tried to escape. It was that very day when she died, so he thought. He wished there was a way to save her, but yet there wasn't. Suddenly he caught sight of something glowing on the other bank. He wanted to know what it was, like all pirates, if he saw something he liked he took it. There were rocks that stretched across the river, if he jumped across them he could make it to the other side. He jumped on the first one and nearly fell. He jumped on the second one this time more catious, then the third then the fourth and finally the fifth, he wobbled but caught his balance as he landed on the other side, he stared behind him, If he would've fell he would've been history. He walked toward the thing, It was a golden harp, just lying there, he lifted it up surprised by the weight. It was truly a beautiful thing. He slowly began to strum it. The wind rustled in his ears and voices seemed to whisper, "This will save Angelica." They whispered.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"If you don't believe us, go ask Tia Dalma." They said.

"Okay" he said. He leapt the rocks and began to walk where the river was calmer. He climbed in his boat and began to row toward the dark side of the river where she lived.

Dim candles lit the river, strange jungle nosies echoed around him, He rowed timidly. As nice as the young Mystic was, she was strange and many were scared to ask her for advice. He arrived at her hut and climbed the ropes to the entrance. She saw him, "Ahh Jack Sparrow I always knew you'd come.

"Yes." He replied. "I need to know if you could tell me how this will save Angelica. He put the Harp on her table.

"In fact I can. But first I demand payment."

"Okay." He set three shillings on her table.

"The payment is fair, now sit." He sat on one of her chairs and she sat directly across from him.

"You found this harp on the side of the waterfall, yes?"

He nodded.

"This is the sea monster's harp." She said.

"What?"

"In order to get back your love, you must play his song on this Harp."

"What song?"

"The song you must find."

"How do I find it?"

"With this compass." She said. She handed him a compass he opened it and looked at it. He studied it, the needle didn't point north, "It's broken." He said. He closed it and handed it back to her.

"No its not." Tia said, "Tell me what is it you want most?" she shoved it back to him.

"To find Angelica." He told her solemnly.

"Now open it."

He reopened the compass to his surprise and the needle began to spin wildly, it pointed north.

"That is the direction you must go." She said. "Follow the needle and it will lead you to the sheet music, but I must warn you. You must play the harp perfectly and not miss any notes."

"Okay, I'll get a ship, pick up a crew and Tortuga and set off."

"No." she said sternly, "This is your quest and yours alone."

"Well what do you expect me to do, travel in a rowboat?"

She nodded.

"But-"

"Do you or do you not want to find Angelica?"

"I do."

"Then do as I say."

"Alright." he put the compass in his belt and climbed into the rowboat and began to row upriver toward the open sea, where the compass directed him.

**Part 2**

Thunder rumbled up ahead and rain slammed down into the dark, salty water. It was dark and stormy and Jack was in the wavy open sea. "I knew I should have gone with my instinct!" he mumbled. As the rain plastered his clothes to his body. Suddenly he dropped the oar and it got swallowed up by the sea, down, down it fell into the water. "Down!" Jack turned and looked he was on top of a huge wave. It was carrying him straight toward the rocks. Jack held his breath as the waves crashed down onto the rocks, he fell into the water just between the rocks and slowly his head went under. He coughed and sputtered as he brought his head up to the surface. He kicked his feet as he tried to swim but it was useless. He was getting tired and wasn't even close to land. He closed his eyes and vanished into the murky depths, if there was any way he wanted to die it was saving Angelica, or at least attempted to. But he had failed and she would be lost to the depths forever.

By the next morning the waves had calmed. The last big wave crashed onto the beach washed up a motionless human, Jack lay face down in the sand. The warm sand awoke him. He sat up and shook, he coughed and sputtered, "I'm alive!" he yelped with joy. He felt his belt, the compass! Then he sighed with relief as he saw it wash up on the shore. But where was the Harp, the only reason he'd come was to save Angelica by playing the harp and hypnotizing the beast, and now he had failed, failed miserably! He wanted to yell with anger but instead he just stood up and walked into the forest on the island. He found him self walking into a cave, No use using the compass now. He sighed, he was already way off course, suddenly he tripped over something deep in the sand. "Ouch, blast it!" he yelled annoyed. I'm only 28 and I'm as clumsy as an old man! He looked behind him to see what he had tripped over. Laying, half buried in the sand was none other than the harp! But he had found it, but why was it here, and standing so neatly? Then something caught his eye, a pile of riches! ON top of the pile, glowing was a scroll, he took it from the top and opened it, It was a page of music. This must be the music Tia Dalma had mentioned! But was it right? He pulled the harp out of the sand, sheet music in one hand he began to play it. He'd never played a harp but his fingers danced on the strings as if he was an expert. Suddenly the water rippled and a huge dragon's head appeared out of the water, the sea dragon! But where was the hostility, or the fire in the creatures eyes, there was nothing he seemed to be soothed by the music. He began to move his head to the solemn minor tune that Jack was playing. Then Jack's eyes caught sight of a figure crawling up it's neck, Angelica? She was scarcely recognizable, her brown hair was tangled and ragged. Her clothes were rags by now, ripped and torn, but it was Angelica, he new it he saw her twinkling brown eyes underneath the mess of hair. "ANGELICA!" he exclaimed. He stopped playing the harp, the sea monster froze. It roared and it's eyes burned red. Jack stopped, he had done exactly what Miss Dalma had told him exactly not to do. It screeched and lunged it's huge head at Jack knocking Angelica off balance. She crashed into the waves and it washed the unconscious young woman on land. The the creature looked at Angelica and lunged at her. Jack jumped in front of her, the creature snorted, and tried to lunge at Jack then was cut short by a sword long ways against it's nose. It looked down to see Jack smiling, "Hello." he said. the creature roared, And lunged again then roared with pain as a sword stabbed it's long neck. It lifted Jack off the ground and began to toss its head around, swinging Jack. But Jack clung on tight. "Stop fidgeting!" he yelled, "The sword is just going deeper into your skin." The creature didn't seem to understand, it's next move was one Jack never expected, a move though he should've. The Creature began to smash Jack on the rocks. He winced in pain as they scraped his side but he wasn't going to let go. Suddenly his shoulder began to hurt really bad and sting. He shot a glance at it then flinced back, it had been torn. When he was sure he couldn't hold on any more a gun went off, three times in a row. Jack snapped his head toward the shore, then caught sight of Angelica standing on the shore, smoke dissolving in thin wisps from a just-fired pistol. The dragon roared and fell with Jack still clinging to his sword.

"Jack no!" was all he heard, then nothing. He opened his eyes to see Angelica looming over him.

"Am I dead?" he asked.

"No, everything will be okay."

"What…"

"You hit the rocks and gave yourself some horrid injuries." He felt coolness on his chest. Angelica had taken the cloth out of his belt and was rubbing the soaked cloth on his chest you scorched it on the rocks, Jack was gasping, she held his chest, "breathe."

"Its too late for that." he told her gently, "As much as I hate dying I'm well on my way."

"No Jack you mustn't die!" Angelica exclaimed. "You- you haven't even met your destiny yet!"

"Yes I have." rasped, his breathing was getting slower.

"No you swore you'd become a Captain and have a ship one day." she told him.

" I've already met my destiny, my destiny is to die…saving you." he told her, "I love you Angelica."

"But-"

He put his hand on her face, "Angelica you have to listen." he told her, "And anyway its to late." he fell, eyes closed and his hand fell from her face. "Jack don't die, please don't die." she cried but Jack was already dead.

"Lord please save him," she prayed, "Don't take him, I love him, he risked his life to save me."

"Do you really love him, truly?" Angelica gasped and turned to see Tia Dalma. "Do you really love him?" she asked.

"Yes I do, and he loves me."

"Very well." she took strange pieces in her hands and whispered to them, "A torch of destiny." she through down the pieces and they exploded into green fire on Jack, the fire eventually died away and Jack still lay there, still. Then slowly he moved and blinked open his eyes. At first he said nothing then he picked up the bottle the sheet music was in and tipped it forward, "Why is the rum always gone?" he asked.

Everyone burst out laughing all was as it should be, until the next adventure any way.

**Epilogue**

Jack and Angelica walked along the beach, hand in hand in the cool starry night. Her brown hair ruffled in the breeze. Jack looked down at the harp, next to the waterfall.

"It truly is a beautiful thing." Angelica said.

"It is; but not as beautiful as you." he said, "And it doesn't even belong to me." Jack picked it up.

"What are you doing with it?" asked Angelica.

"Returning it to the depths." he said, "I don't need it, so as long as I have you." he dropped it over the waterfall and watched it sink, down into the depths, where it truly belonged.


End file.
